The Army Corps of Engineers announced last month that 17 levee systems in central California totaling 180 miles will be inelligible for federal rehabilitation assistance in the event they are damaged in a flood. This includes 40 miles of levees that protect Sacramento with a population of just under half a million. The reasons cited by The Corps included inadequate inspections and lack of detail in new state and local levee maintenance plans. It looks like the Corps is making a big point for levee owners across the country. But maintenance and inspections are difficult while state and local government budgets are shrinking. [Source: ENR: Engineering News Record. Image: ENR]

TenCate geosynthetics was a textile technology company in 1953 when disastrous flooding struck the Netherlands. The company came up with some of the first applications of geosynthetics that allowed the creation of the Oostershelde Flood […]

Wet spots have been detected along a portion of a new levee being constructed by a US Army Corps of Engineers Contractor. The levee is approximately 95% complete, but the Levee Board wants to establish what is causing the apparent seepage before accepting the levee. More after the break. (Photo of Katrina levee failure from greenmannowar)